John, my main concern was for the older bronze cast(brass)
R tail pieces made in the mid-60's. These can be repaired quite easily. This was to restore and save the original tailpiece. The ones made after 1967 (i believe) were the zinc cast metal and I think it would be to the advantage of most to replace it with a new one since repairing and rechroming one costs more than a replacement one.

You're ahead of me then, Dale, because I have yet to see a brass or bronze -R- tailpiece. I've seen plenty of 60's zinc ones that were copper flashed which, before plating, LOOKED like bronze though . . . you sure that isn't what you saw? I have seen a few brass 400 series bridges but these were incredibly crude sand castings.

Anyway, I guess you can weld zinc with the right materials but as you say, it certainly isn't cost effective.